Kevin Durant’s Net Worth and Empire Is Bigger Than You Think
Even before the NBA season was halted because of the coronavirus (COVID-19), Kevin Durant wasn’t playing any basketball. Durant, signed by the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent this offseason despite an Achilles injury, knew his 2019-20 season was over before it began. The Nets also knew his season was over, but still signed him to a $164 million deal. Durant also has a 10-year, $275 million shoe deal with Nike. With that said, Durant will make $70 million this year without even lacing up those Nike sneakers.
Kevin Durant thinks long term
Kevin Durant knows his performance on the basketball court dictates his success off it. But while he’s unable to take part in playing the games, he’s always thinking ahead.
“What’s most important is to take care of my body so I can put my product back on the court. How well you play on the court determines how big your business is going to grow.”
Kevin Durant
For Durant, thinking ahead goes beyond next year and the year after. He chooses to think about life beyond basketball. He wants there to be a life after his NBA career is over. Durant has been involved in several business ventures and that all began in 2014 when he found himself in the middle of a tug-of-war battle between Nike and Under Armour.
“I learned a lot about the business side through that,” Durant said. “It really broke things down for me.”
The business side of Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant teamed up with his manager Rich Kleiman to start Thirty Five Ventures, a company that has 15 full-time employees that help oversee Durant’s endorsements, foundation, startups, and media plays. Over the past few years, he’s plowed more than $15 million into 40-plus startups.
Some of Durant’s current projects include The Boardroom, a multi-platform sports business/culture-focused vertical distributed by ESPN; the basketball-themed series “Swagger” starring Winston Duke through a venture with Imagine Entertainment and Apple; an equity partnership with audio company Master & Dynamic for his Studio 35 headphones; and the Durant Center, an educational and leadership facility in Durant’s hometown in Prince George’s County, Md.
With Durant, who just recently tested positive for the coronavirus, moving to a bigger media market in New York, his potential for growth is unlimited. “LeBron James was the first case study that you can build a real business while you’re playing,” says Kleiman. “Kevin is building a real and authentic company.”
Durant’s NBA future and net worth
It’s been nine months since Kevin Durant suffered his Achilles injury, but last month a video surfaced of him running and doing drills at the Nets’ practice facility.
“He’s been doing this,” said former Nets head coach Kenny Atkinson last month. “It’s been part of his rehab.” the Nets have maintained Durant will be out for the remainder of the season.
For his career, Durant has averaged 27 points per game through his 12 seasons. He has also pulled down 7.1 rebounds. According to celebritynetworth.com, Durant has a net worth of $170 million.
